BACON JAM — two recipes!

Setting: On a recent snowy Sunday morning I found myself in the glowing warmth of a fireplace surrounded by piles of paper — drinking coffee, preparing my income tax report and making bacon jam. The house was filled with the deep and übercomforting aroma of smoky sweet and salty bacon jam reducing in the Thermomix while I persevered over one of the most dreaded household tasks of the year. For those of us who can’t bear the thought of preparing annual taxes, what better method to counter the burden of unpleasant paperwork, than by simultaneously preparing something utterly decadent as a personal culinary reward? I’m happy to report this strategy worked so well that I’m already looking forward to next year’s tax time!

What is bacon jam? A salty-sweet, smoky and sneaky way of yumming up a burger… or anything else, for that matter. Not only will you have it at the ready for any bacon application — but you will be indulging with healthy moderation. (Stick with me here, there is a reason to this madness…) Bacon jam is a highly concentrated spread. It demands to be used sparingly. Think about this for a minute: is it better to fry several strips of bacon in a pan or to add just one small spoonful of bacon jam to scrambled eggs? How perfect would it be to spread Thermomix bacon jam (thinly) on a Thermomix-made crepe before rolling that crepe around some Thermomix steamed asparagus and lacing Thermomix hollandaise over top?

Bacon jam – two ways
I tested and tweaked many ways of making bacon jam and couldn’t decided which was best for this blog, so I’ve included two versions. Version #1 (above) is a lighter, sweeter bacon jam should appeal to everyone. The second (#2 below) is a deep dark and spicy bacon spread. This one harkens to robust southern US, Mexican, and Latin flavours and will appeal to people who lean towards savoury treats.

Both versions use the same method, but differ in their seasonings. Use the best double-smoked bacon you can find. If buying packaged bacon, check the label’s fine print and stay away from anything that is flavoured with maple or other artificial sweeteners.

You have my permission to treat bacon jam as your personal culinary ace-in-the-hole: a hidden spread under cheese on crackers, in tomato sandwiches, blended with your pizza sauce, on pasta, with cheese scones, as a crust on grilled scallops or halibut, or in salad dressing.

A thin smear on bread, toasted in the oven will make the best ever croutons for Caesar salad — if there’s enough left in the jar. Are we there yet? I am! I’ve even fantasized about savoury apple torte with goat cheese, dabbed in bacon jam. (You’ll find links to bacon jam info that inspired my Thermomix adaptation at the bottom of this page.)

Thermomix Bacon Jam(Each recipe makes about two small/medium jars, same as quantity shown in the top photo on this page. Sorry, forgot to measure the result!)

5.0 from 1 reviews

BACON JAM -- two recipes!

The "savory" bacon jam is one of SKM's most popular recipes for TM5 and TM31 - choose which of the two variations you prefer!

by: ThermomixBlogger Helene

Cuisine: North American

Recipe type: snacks and parties

Ingredients

recipe #1: fruity-sweet potted piggy-ness

500 g (17.6 oz) bacon, good quality smoked or double smoked

200 g (7 oz) onion, cut into large chunks ( I use sweet onion)

25 g (0.9 oz) garlic (peeled cloves)

230 g (8 oz) apple juice

30 g (1 oz) apple cider vinegar

50 g (1.8 oz) brown sugar (use part maple syrup if you like)

25 g (0.9 oz) pitted dates

20 g (0.7 oz) craisins or raisins

½ - 1 tsp cinnamon powder (optional and surprisingly fitting!)

recipe #2: spicy-dark savoury bacon spread with chocolate & coffee

500 g (17.6 oz) bacon, good quality smoked or double smoked

200 g (7 oz) onion, cut into large chunks ( I use sweet onion)

30 g (1 oz) garlic cloves (peeled and cut in half)

230 g (8 oz) brewed coffee

30 g (1 oz) balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

60 g (2 oz) brown sugar

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 small dried red chili pepper (or ⅓ tsp chili flakes)

Instructions

Instructions shown apply to both sets of ingredients.

Cut bacon into short pieces, (about 1-2 cm). If you want to cut bacon neatly, with less greasy mess, consider putting in the freezer for a few minutes before cutting.

Fry in a medium hot pan on the stove until bacon just becomes crispy. Set aside to drain once cooked. (You can use the Thermomix simmering basket for draining purposes.)

As bacon is frying, prepare onions and garlic. Turn on Thermomix and set to speed 6, drop garlic onto spinning blades. Stop, remove lid, push garlic down the sides of bowl with spatula. Add onion and chop for 5 seconds/speed 5

Add drained bacon to Thermomix and sauté with the onions and garlic for 12 minutes/90°C/REVERSE/soft stir, with measuring cap off.

Add remaining ingredients and desired seasoning from either list #1 0r #2 above. Cook for 60 minutes/100°C/212ºF/REVERSE/soft stir, with measuring cap off to reduce liquid (For the first 30 minutes or so, you may want to place the empty simmering basket on the lid to act as a splash guard while evaporation continues through the hole.)

After 60 minutes, push food down the sides with spatula if needed and reset the controls to continue reducing for 30 minutes/100°C/212ºF/REVERSE/soft stir with measuring cap off.

Check the consistency and choose your preference. Do you like it this way or would you rather process for 2-4 seconds on speed 4? While most recipes recommend partially processing for smoothness, I prefer a chunkier bacon jam, where bits of bacon are identifiable. Keep in mind that even though the sauce is liquid now, it will solidify when cooled. Transfer to jars. Keeps well in fridge.

3.3.3077

Want more?
Here are links to some of the sites for stove-top bacon jam that inspired this Thermomix recipe.

See 41 comments from people who cook with Thermomix:

Dear Helene, I’m finally in Spain… living in a hotel and with no thermomix for another month and a half, at least, but as soon as I have a place of my own with my kitchen and everything I’m going to try this jam (been looking for a recipe since top chef season 6). I have sooo much catching up to do and so little time!!!
Hope you’re doing great!

So great to hear from you, long lost Mara ;-) Glad to hear you are safe and sound and ‘home’ again.
What’s this about Top Chef season 6?!? Oh sometimes I really wish I had a TV. I am so frustrated that I can’t watch all the Chef shows from UK, Australia, and USA. Grrrrrr !

Are you brilliant, or what? I cannot wait to try BOTH Of these. I am more of a savoury person – but YUM. My students actually made a bacon spread (jam) when they won the Grilled Cheese Olympics here last year. Cannot wait!
:)
valerie

Not brilliant in the least, just determined to figure out a way to make bacon jam with Thermomix. I bet you could adapt your students’ recipe for the super kitchen machine. Yes? I will be watching for it! In the mean time, I just want to say that even though I am more of a savoury person too, the sweet bacon jam version on this page might just be my favourite of the two. Hmmmm. The times they may be a-changin’.

You are brilliant Helene. I’ve never heard of bacon jam – I don’t watch those Masterchef type programs – but you’ve really sold this one to me. How long do you think it would keep and would it freeze OK do you think?

Hi Judy! I think it will last about five minutes. Okay, lol aside, it probably would freeze but I haven’t tried, as this would not be my preference. (I’m just not someone who freezes much.) I suggest you try the sweet version and freeze half to try it out. Also be aware that because this is a concentrated ‘reduction’ the resulting batch of ‘jam’ is not huge. (Next time I make it, I will weigh the end product to give people a better idea of yield.) Thanks for stopping by with your question :)

2 days ago, I had never heard of bacon jam and would never have thought of it. I have just finished making both versions and I’m hooked!
I think (THINK) I prefer the savoury one over the sweet one… but it was a close call LOL

Oh B&J, bless your collective little Aussie socks! I’m so glad you liked it them both! And thanks for reporting on your preference. It’s challenging to adapt recipes so they will appeal to all the tastes and the larder differences of Thermomix fans who read this blog. With readers from around the world, it’s hard to know just how the ‘regional’ variations in ingredients will perform. I surprised myself even, by preferring the sweet version of this jam. Thanks so much for your feedback! ;-)

Helene this looks wonderful. After failing dismally at making edible baconnaise (tasted like whipped lard), this is my chance to bring joy to the heart of my ‘bacon addicted’ son. Will have to wait until the weekend then cook away!

I made recipe #1: fruity-sweet potted piggy-ness last night and oh my goodness, it is amazing!!! I woke up this morning and got straight into making batch number 2!!!
We ate it for breakfast with eggs and then again at lunch with homemade chicken burger. I am a Bacon Jam Addict! Thanks for the recipe Helene :)

and thank YOU for your comment! Glad you liked both versions… that’s why I posted both on the blog… because I couldn’t decide which one I preferred! Bacon jam is also so good as a pizza sauce and layered in with cream cheese on Veggie Spirals. Too yummy and all this fun is thanks to Thermomix ;-)

Now, just take a good sourdough bread and toast a good slice. Spread a thin layer of umami paste while it’s still hot, so it melts into that bread. When it’s not so warm, add another thin layer of umami paste (my husband would raise his eyebrow here). Top it off with bacon jam (the dark one in my case) and don’t be surprised if tears start falling down your cheek.
PS: Am I ellegible for a second copy of dinner spinner? LOL

Not sure whether to laugh or cry now… TWO layers of umami UNDER a layer of bacon jam. Methinks you are seriously addicted to the salty savoriness of life! And oh yes, SOURDOUGH bread too?! Toasted? I think we speak the same sublime salty language!

Hi Helen — thanks for reminding me about these two recipes! It’s been some time since I made the bacon jam and am trying to remember the quantity. Because the result is so concentrated and the ingredients are quite reduced the outcome is not huge. I think it’s about two small-to-medium sized jars as shown in the top photo on this page. You could make four tiny jars for gifting… (Sorry I’m not being too helpful but this is based on a somewhat failing memory!) If you make this jam, please do let us all know if you are able to provide a more accurate count. Until then, Merry Christmas to you ;-)

It’s not hard to increase the quantity. I even leave the same times that Helene gives for the 500 gr of bacon and it works just fine with 800 gr. It’s not so dense (I’m talking about the dark spicy one) but very very good all the same.

Wow! Have only tried the second version so far but was amazed and very hooked! The flavours are so intense and almost hit u one at a time making the mouthful of taste just go on and on :) I had never heard of bacon jam before but will be using this regularly from now on. Thank u for this, I can’t wait to blow the family away at christmas! And I can’t wait to try the first version too, just have to wait till the 2nd batch of version 2 finishes cooking… :)

Thanks Lee, for your enthusiastic feedback on this! Yup, it’s easy to get hooked on bacon jam and perhaps best to keep it as a special treat. (I think that’s why I never double the recipe…) But when there are more people to feed, Mara’s suggestion is the way to go! Thanks to you both ;-)

ps – in hindsight, I probably made the recipe using 500 g. bacon originally because that is the standard package size where I live.

Hey this is a great recipe However I am from Texas.. My Granny did it with Ginger instead of cinnamon. I can not wait to try it either of these ways though :) Granny also sauteed pears I do not know what a ThermoMix is but I am about to look into it… I found the site looking for a recipe for Bacon Jam :) Thanks for posting :)

Love the two versions of this bacon jam! Thank you for sharing these recipes Helene. I made a half recipe of each as I knew I had to try them both. I love them equally and are two very different and intoxicating flavours. Yum!

Aww Kalayra! I really appreciate that you took time to come back and leave a comment after trying these recipes. Yes, two distinctly different flavours…. and I couldn’t decide quite which I preferred either!

Hi. I LOVE this bacon jam and have made both recipes a few times. I did wonder though, if it can be preserved? Does anyone know if the vinegar and sugar quantities would be enough to preserve this OK for a few months?

Hi Jane — sorry for any confusion… If you look at the list of ingredients, you’ll see there is a list of “recipe 1” and “recipe 2”. The recipe preparation method below applies to both versions. Hope this helps :)